ACUMEN IAS ANSWER WRITING EXERCISE: Q 8: GS 1 – MODEL ANSWER

Q: Though the Non-Cooperation movement and Khilafat movement emerged from separate issues, they united in 1920. Discuss. Critically analyse the impacts of the union of these two movements. (250 words) 15 marks

Approach:

 Identify the demand: The unification of Khilafat movement and Non-Cooperation movement shall be focused – why it united and what was its aftermath in the national movement.  Introduction: describe the Non-Cooperation and Khilafat Movement with their primary objective.  Provide the background of the two movements and describe why they united.  Write down the positive and negative implications of the cooperation of these movements.

Model answer:

Introduction:  The Non-Cooperation Movement was pitched in under leadership of Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Congress from September 1920 to February 1922, marking a new awakening in the Indian Independence Movement.  Gandhiji planned to withdraw the nation's co-operation from the British Government, thus launching the Non-Cooperation Movement and thereby marring the administrative set up of the country.

Background to NCM:  The Rowlatt Act, 1919 and the Jallianwalla Bagh: The imposition of martial law in Punjab and the massacre exposed the uncivilised face of the British rule.

 The Montague-Chelmsford Reforms: It resulted in the Government of India Act 1919, dissatisfied the nationalists who had expected much more in the direction of self- government.

 World War 1: The economic hardship post First World War in terms of high commodity prices, spike in rent and taxes etc. created suffering among the masses and dissatisfaction against the colonial rule.

Background to Khilafat movement:

 In 1919, the Khilafat Committee was formed under the leadership of the Ali brothers (Shaukat Ali and Muhammad Ali), Maulana Azad, Ajmal Khan and Hasrat Mohani.  Reason: As Turkey was defeated in the World War 1, the Allies the Khalifa removed from power by the Allies. The Muslims in India launched the Khilafat movement to pressurise the British to preserve the territorial integrity of the Ottoman Empire and the institution of Khalifa.  The Khilafat may be seen as the attempt on the part of the Indian Muslim leadership to bring their pan-Islamic and Indian nationalist sentiments together.

An alliance between the Khilafat and Non-Cooperation movement was due to:

 The Lucknow Pact in 1916: it gave life to Congress – Muslim League Cooperation. The period saw the saw a strong feeling of discontent among Hindus and Muslims for political action.  The Rowlatt Act agitation, Jallianwalla Bagh massacre and and the partisan Hunter Commission report had brought Hindus and Muslims together.  Gandhiji saw an opportunity in Khilafat issue to launch mass and launched non- cooperation movement against the government. It was a try to bring their pan-Islamic and Indian nationalist sentiments together. Constitutional struggle especially after the Punjab incident and the Hunter Commission report.

The positive impacts of this alliance were:

 Muslim participation: It brought the Muslims, especially of urban India into the National movement. The Non-cooperation Movement resulted in the spread of the nationalist sentiments pan – India.  Cement Hindu-Muslim unity: The movement gave Indian national congress Congress a new energy and the Swadeshi spirit was revived.  Anti-colonial struggle: The Indian people lost their sense of fear and they gained self- confidence that the colonial rule was challenged by mass struggle.

The negative impacts of this alliance were:

 Mixing religion with politics: the forces of communalism were strengthened as a result of the spread of religious consciousness into politics.  Anti-secularism: The national leaders failed to raise a secular political consciousness.  Partition: It was criticized that the seeds for communal based religious politics had been planted by this and eventually led to the partition of India in 1947.

Conclusion:

 NCM was the politicisation and activisation of millions of men and women which imparted a revolutionary character to the national movement.